Health CS Aden Duale reveals when Kenya will be declared Ebola-free

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has shared details over when Kenya can expect to be declared free of Ebola.

Kenya has so far confirmed nine cases of Ebola, including two deaths, with the development heightening scrutiny in and around the country.

Duale says the country was monitoring contacts of confirmed patients, with those completing 21 days of quarantine undergoing final tests before authorities determine whether they can return to their families.

The Health CS revealed that Kenya will only be declared Ebola-free once it goes 42 days without a new case and while those confirmed recovery and the country meets the World Health Organization protocols.

“Once we have 42 days and we have nobody, Kenya will be declared Ebola-free,” Duale said on Citizen TV on Sunday.

Duale says the virus has an incubation period of between two and 21 days and therefore, the initial 21-day monitoring period is critical in identifying those who may develop symptoms after exposure.

He further stated that contacts who had completed the 21-day period in quarantine were being tested and the outcome of will determine their release.

“If tomorrow they are negative, the Director General will do the clinical analysis, will do all the protocols, and they’ll be safe to go and join their families,” added Duale, who also said that Kenya had traced all people who came into contact with the first patient, achieving an 100 per cent contact tracing, way above the 85 per cent global threshold.

Duale confirmed that Kenya had identified seven Ebola cases involving family members and a healthcare worker linked to the first patient and on a positive note, there was no new transmission in the community as all confirmed cases came from those already in quarantine.

While revealing that the last positive Ebola case was recorded on October 19, the Health CS says the country has continued testing people with suspected symptoms and that about 551 people had been tested in the preceding 48 hours, with all samples returning negative results.

Amid claims that the country is ill prepared to deal with the outbreak, Duale insists more than 26 high-risk counties had equipment and personal protective equipment while Kenya has 21 isolation intensive care unit beds, while 4,900 healthcare workers had received Ebola training.

Further, Duale says the country has 342 first responders and five laboratory facilities, including two mobile laboratories.